This invention relates to a water-tight connector for connecting a metal awning cover to the wall of a vehicle particularly an RV or trailer-type vehicle. It has long been recognized that roll-up awnings of the type shown and described in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,324,869 issued June 13, 1967 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,877, issued Apr. 1, 1980, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, have been useful in the recreational vehicle field. Particularly when trailer homes or recreational vehicles are parked at campsites, there is a need for a shady area in which to relax or a protected area in which to cook or the like in the event of inclement weather. A spring loaded roll-up awning of the type disclosed in my patent has long been used in the field and found sufficient to fulfill its intended purpose.
In my prior patent, there was disclosed a metal cover for a roll-up awning and although not disclosed therein, a metal cover comprised of a plurality of slats hingedly connected by one to the other has been used for many years. The slatted metal cover is generally connected to a railing mounted directly to the wall of the vehicle, which railing is C-shaped in transverse cross-section. Although the slatted awning cover sold for almost fifteen years has achieved substantial distinction in the field and has been satisfactory for its intended purpose, there is one significant problem with the slatted metal cover that has not heretofore been solved. Connection of the slatted metal cover to the vehicle wall has heretofore been accomplished by means of a metal fitting. The fitting serves to connect the rail on the vehicle with the innermost slat of the slatted metal cover; however, because of its construction and its metal to metal contact, there has been a problem of water seepage between the vehicle wall and the innermost slat in the slatted metal cover. This problem, although existing for fifteen years, has not satisfactorily been solved until the present invention.